Speed, power, and data transfer requirements, as well as technological advances, have increased use of optics in electronic systems. Integration of optical devices in electronic systems has resulted in an increased demand for efficient, reliable, low cost, small device size, and manufacturable optical devices.
At present, optoelectronic devices that are phototransmitters or photoreceivers are discreet devices, i.e., a phototransmitter only emits light and a photoreceiver only receives light. However, bimodal or bi-directional devices can phototransmit and photoreceive, thus offering an advantage of a single device that can both receive and transmit optical signals. While these bimodal or bi-directional optical devices are known, these devices are too inefficient for use, thus limiting these devices from integration with standard electronic components.
Thus, there is a need for a bi-directional device that has performance levels that are acceptable for both photoreceiving and phototransmitting. Further, the bi-directional device needs to be manufactured in a cost effective manner, as well as having the bi-directional device being reliable.